#however speak now rep and lover are NO skip albums for me

[campbyler]

hii , just wanted to say how much i litterally love this fic, ngl it has turned me into a swiftie (bow down to taylor swift) anyways i wanted to ask what is the partys fav eras?

every time someone says they became a taylor fan bc of this fic we grow more powerful >:) so glad to hear! welcome to the brainrot 🫡 as for their favs, we talked abt their fav albums a while back but that was a While Back and i never deny an opportunity to talk acswy party x taylor so here are what we think their favs would be:

el: speak now stan first and human being second. she’s just like me <3 no notes here her taste is immaculate. she did in fact shell out for the merch earlier this summer

max: rep girly through and through (both the album and the vibes of the Era) but i think she holds a very soft spot for lover (specifically after she and lucas start dating). loves call it what you want bc she is a not so secret softie

lucas: lover! not a huge fan but got introduced to taylor more through max and naturally gravitated towards lover. i’ve said this before and i’ve said this again but his fav track off of it is def i think he knows. he got my heart! beat! skipping down 16th avenue! etc so on and so forth

dustin: not a huge taylor Fan for the most part. likes her more popular hits and therefore probably 1989 if he had to pick an album. however he can also be found listening to very random debut tracks that no one else in the party ever really listens to. his spotify listening activity will show him listening to cold as you for three hours and everyone thinks it’s a glitch (it’s not). also a should’ve said no enjoyer. he and el scream it in the car a lot

will: tells everyone it’s folklore for the lyricism and whatnot (it’s mostly true) but he holds a special spot for red tv that he conveniently does not mention (specifically the breakup songs) (#andyoucallmeupagainjusttobreakmelikeapromise). mostly bc of the timing of when it dropped but also bc red tv is a masterpiece and he is putting some well deserved respect on its name. el and max know his secret though bc they had to listen to him listening to it on loop for nov-december 2021 and then it carried over into jan 2022 before they finally staged an intervention

mike: if he had to choose an Album it would prob be evermore but i think his favorite songs are scattered throughout the rest of her discography! to meeeee he is a mine enjoyer, as well as delicate, hygtg, so on and so forth. is not allowed to listen to this is me trying anymore for his own safety (lucas keeps tabs on his spotify activity). also to me mike is a pop punk enjoyer so i think speak now’s sound really draws him in as well! definitely got excited over fob + hayley’s features on the vault tracks

[usuallydistinguishedcolor]

I was tagged by @letsbealone-together

Thank you! ♥️♥️♥️

(This is the first time anybody has tagged me in anything, so let’s hope I did it right)

When did you become a louie?

I don’t know the timeline exactly because it was a long time ago, but I know I first heard about One Direction (on Google+!!) at some point before the 2012 Summer Olympics. I remember seeing a post with just five pairs of eyes and feeling drawn to the strikingly blue ones. I watched WMYB, decided to figure out which name belonged to which person, and accidentally became obsessed.

Why did you become a louie?

His sense of humor! His gorgeous eyes and smile! His emotional voice! I think it was the absolute chaos of the video diaries - I couldn’t stop laughing. The more I learn about him the more I find to love. I love how much he cares - about his band, his family, and his fans.

One thing that drew you in specifically?

He’s just unique. His eyes drew me in at the beginning, but his sense of humor kept me a fan. I really love the way he’s able to be so bluntly honest yet make it come off as a joke

Favourite song on Walls?

Defenseless!! Or Fearless! It really depends on the day, because the album literally has no skips. I’ve been listening to it on repeat all summer.

Who would you want Louis to collab with?

Louis’ lyrics tend to be quite specific, which I associate with Broadway. It would be interesting to hear something with Lin Manuel Miranda. They both have strong lyrics and emotional yet technically weaker voices. I just really want Louis to do a musical? It’ll never happen, but a girl can daydream, right? (I love his voice the way it is, but I think it would be great for him to work with a vocal coach on a totally different style and see what crosses back over when he goes back to his actual style. Especially since when he was in 1D, he had to fit his voice into that style/range instead of exploring what truly fits his voice. His voice is naturally so high, but he seems way more comfortable down at the bottom of his range? I’d love to hear him play with his head voice. It would also be a cool full circle moment since he’s pointed to his Grease experience as the time he realized he could sing)

This is a weird choice, but I saw someone else answer with this and it won’t get out of my head. I think a Taylor Swift collab could be really cool? Again, they both count their lyrics as their strong suit. However, they’ve both been romantically linked to the same person by the media, so unless the song was very clearly about a different situation, it would just cause drama. 

Speaking of weird: Zayn. I know their music is quite different, but that would just make any song they made together more interesting! Also, it hurts my heart that they used to be so close - I just want them to be friends again

I kinda feel like FINNEAS’ music is similar - very emotional and lyrically dense. I Lost A Friend makes me cry, especially if I’m thinking about Louis and Zayn when I listen to it. I’d love to hear what they would make together. 

Favourite hairstyle?

The cinnamon swirl is extra beautiful

Back To You, Just Hold On or Miss You?

(Just Like You. I like the reminder that our fav celebrities are actual humans too)

To answer the actual question: Just Hold On. I don’t like dance/club type music, so I’m not really into the production, but I love the message. I’d give anything for an acoustic version!

Louis in suits or sweaters?

Both! I lean towards the sweaters because he looks so comfy and cozy and they make me really crave a cuddle, but he is so incredible handsome in a suit. It’s completely unfair how gorgeous he is. 

Favourite tattoo?

I’ll not lie; I’m not one for tattoos - I was kinda disappointed when he got his first one. However, I have a soft spot for the quiet simple ones. I think the cuppa tea is my favorite, but the quotation marks are a close second. 

Favourite Louis photo?

Random extra?

I think Perfect Now gets a bad rep. I really love the growly high note in the last chorus. Also, I bought red sneakers and still wear stripes because of his Up All Night era “uniform”

Originally posted by larryloves

I’m tagging @pie-lover-67 and @grank99

[idsb]

holly rank ur fave taylor albums

OOF okay I think my ranking goes Speak Now > Rep = Red > Lover > 1989 > Debut > Fearless ((((however before I get hate for that Fearless also has my least skips. It’s just. Also has the least ‘wHAT THE FUCK SHE DID THAT’ songs for me))))

[polaroidofus-89]

‘Lover’ song-by-song breakdown [part 1]:

Long before @taylorswift joined Tumblr (and a billion thousand of Swifties with her), when this website was still unknown to most of mankind, I always made a post about my first thoughts on the album, writing down my opinion and rating each song at the end of release week. The first time I did this was with Speak Now and I created a chart to rate Lyrics, Chorus, Bridge and whether the song is a Skip or not. The only time I skipped this post was during the reputation era because of reasons I explained back then - if you want, I’ll send you the link to that post. 

This time, however, I must make this a two-part post because a) I just came back from my holiday today, b) I always listen to it three times before writing this post (right now I am on number 2) and c) this album is freaking long! 

So here’s the charts (chorus and bridge rated 1-5; lyrics rated 1-3): 

Chorus: 1- meh, nice; 2- good; 3- very good; 4- just magic; 5- PERFECTION

Bridge: 1- good, did better; 2- good; 3- quite perfect; 4- RIP ME. DEAD.; 5- BRIDGE CITY ALERT!!! (was previously BRIDGE HEAVEN... guess why it changed? lol)

 Lyrics: 1- good; 2- great; 3- AMAZING 

Also, since I have been more active lately and some very cute and amazing blogs started following me, I want you all to take part in this breakdown because I would love to read your thoughts and your ratings on each song!

So please, please, please join me in this adventure. Six months from this date (when we will all know the songs by heart), I’ll bring it back to see if anything has changed.

Anyway, here’s the first part of my breakdown... hope you enjoy it!

1. I Forgot That You Existed

Chorus: very good Bridge: good, did better Lyrics: good Skip? No Favorite lyrics: none in particular

Alright, say what you want but I am a sucker for sarcastic and provocative songs from Taylor; they always are filled with such irony and smart remarks… I just can’t help adoring them and memorize them from the first listen, going around humming the rhythm all day long. It happened with Mean, WANEGBT, Blank Space, Shake It Off, IDSB and TIWWCHNT… so it was obviously going to happen with this one too. I also think it would’ve made one hell of promo single – just sayin’. I am in awe of Taylor’s attitude towards people that hurt or badmouth her after being in some kind of relationship with her: she does not comment at first, letting them rant and have their little moment of glory. Then, when everything seems over and forgotten, she strikes back and I enjoy EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE. OF. IT. This one I had been waiting for a long time because a certain someone DEFINITELY deserved it. The way a person behaves towards somebody AFTER their relationship ends says a lot about them and this particular individual proved to be childish, petty, arrogant and very immature – not to mention awfully mean. You can’t act that way about someone you’ve been with for ONE ENTIRE YEAR, someone you were supposed to be in love with. I hate this post-breakup kind of behavior and I had hoped so freaking hard that reputation would’ve had a song like this. But we have it now and secret sessioners were right: it is the most amazing way to start an album. What I love most about this song is the entire second verse: got out some popcorns as soon as my rep started going down, down, down/laughed in the schoolyard as soon as I tripped and hit the ground, ground, ground/ and I would’ve stuck around for ya/ would’ve fought the whole town for ya/would’ve been right there front row, even if nobody came to your show. I just know that it will make feel the person who inspired this song ashamed and won’t allow them any kind of response because it isn't hate, it isn’t love… IT’S JUST INDIFFERENCE. And I’m so proud of her for this.

2. Cruel Summer***

10/10 Chorus: PERFECT Bridge: BRIDGE CITY ALERT!!!!! Lyrics: great Skip? HARD NO Favorite lyrics: “Devils roll their dice; Angels roll their eyes” “what doesn’t kill me makes me want you more” “I don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you”

Secret sessioners were onto something again: Out of The Woods stans would be suckers for Cruel Summer… I can confirm that is, indeed, true. This track feels like summer sunsets, road trips and a sequence of lovey-dovey moments straight out of a rom-com. I absolutely adored the lyrics on this one! I mean “what doesn’t kill me makes me want you more”, “no rules in breakable heaven”, “devils roll their dices, Angels roll their eyes”, “and if I bleed you’ll be the last to know” … what are we even talking about here? And don’t even get me started on the bridge: once again the Swift-Antonoff combination proved to be a winning choice. It’s Taylor Swift at her best and I have nothing more to add. This track is one of my favorites of the entire album and I am hoping it’ll be her next single.

3. Lover*****

10/10 Chorus: magic Bridge: RIP ME. I DIED. DEAD. Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite lyrics: “have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?” “I’ve loved you three summers now honey but I want them all” “My heart’s been borrowed, yours has been blue all’s well that ends well to end up with you”

When Lover first came out, I asked my boyfriend ‘do you think this will be my favorite off of the album?’ and he said ‘no’. He was not wrong at all: Lover and Cornelia Street are battling in my head and in my heart for ‘favorite song’ on the album - I swear it has never been so difficult for me to decide! This track is just pure magic; every time I listen to it, I have a picture in my head of slow dancing during my wedding day and it always (always!) makes me emotional enough to shed a few tears. Honestly, it just gives me poetry vibes – it is that beautiful to me. I absolutely adore this one. This track is also one of my favorite songs – if not my favorite at all.

4. The Man***

10/10 Chorus: PERFECTION Bridge: very good Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite Lyrics: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man”

When I read the interview in which Taylor played this song and explained it to the journalist, my excitement multiplied infinite times. Whoever said Taylor Swift is not a feminist should now go and sit in the corner, thinking about how idiotic such a statement is. This track perfectly summarized what a woman pursuing her goals in life has to go through daily and how hard it is when the world thinks you were born with the wrong attribute in the lower part of your body. It is very provocative and sarcastic, a real national anthem for women. I’m so very proud of her for writing this song, you have no idea. Of course, it has quickly earned a spot on my ‘top favorites’.

5. The Archer***

10/10 Chorus: good (pre-chorus is what I really love) Bridge: BRIDGE CITY ALERT!!! Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite Lyrics: “All the king’s horses, all the king’s men couldn’t put me together again” “awake in the night, I pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible ghosts”

Ah, the power of number 5! This song is life! The thing I love the most about this track is the way it speaks so much on an emotional level, using very little actual words. With track 5 we always got a very descriptive song: she wanted to tell us about an extremely delicate, heartbreaking moment in her life and walked us through the entire story with the lyrics. The Archer doesn’t give us a story, doesn’t talk to us about a distressing moment in her life… it tells us about a feeling – more than that, it gives us that feeling. The anxiety you have when you suffered one too many bad knockouts in life and you are always ready for something bad to happen, always ready for someone to betray you or leave you alone again. It’s a paralyzing fear, almost like you can’t breathe and the fact that Taylor was capable of putting it all into words… I just love her so much, you guys! Though not my favorite Track 5, it does get both a spot on my top three Track 5 (All Too Well and White Horse are number 1 and 2) and on my ‘top favorites’ for this album.

6. I Think He Knows

Chorus: meh Bridge: good, did better Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? Sadly, yes.

Ugh, this is a moment I hate very much. This is one of the only two songs I didn’t particularly like on this album. It breaks my heart to say this because I love both the lyrics (which I think are some of the best on the entire record) and the concept behind this song. But the rhythm just doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t speak to me like all the other songs do… something is just off. That being said, it is still a very good song. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t mind at all if it didn’t make it on the Lover Tour setlist. I know a lot of you love this song and I tried very hard to change my mind about it, but I just know it will be a skip for me.

7. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

Chorus: very good

Bridge: magic

Lyrics: great

Skip? No

Favorite Lyrics:

“I’ll never let you (go), ‘cause I know this is a (fight), that someday we’re gonna (win)”

This one is absolutely incredible - also, my boyfriend’s favorite. It’s You belong with me older, more mature and melancholic sister. The bridge is what really made me fall in love with this track: one of the best she has ever written.

8. Paper Rings

Chorus: PERFECTION Bridge: quite perfect Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? Definitely no Favorite Lyrics: “I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this” “I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings”

OMG THIS SONG! This song is so so so cute! I love it! It’s fun and catchy and makes you want to dance so hard! I’m really looking forward to seeing this song performed live. And don’t even get me started on the chorus: I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings… are you kidding me? Tell me this is not the most amazing declaration of love you have ever heard! Once again, I agree with secret sessioners: it does give Stay, Stay, Stay vibes and I’m totally here for it. These are the kind of songs that I missed the most during rep era and I’m so happy that we got Paper Rings, you have no idea!

9. Cornelia Street*****

10/10 Chorus: PERFECTION Bridge: quite perfect Lyrics: AMAZING Skip? NEVER IN ANY LIFETIME Favorite Lyrics: (too many to count) “I rent a place on Cornelia Street I say casually in the bar” “that’s the kind of heartbreak time could never mend” “as if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead leading us home”

When the tracklist came out and we found out about the Cornelia flowers Easter eggs I just knew that this song was going to hit very hard in the feelings: it was the only Easter egg she has repeated plenty of times, ever since Me! Came out. When we found out that she had written this one by herself, my expectation flew to the moon and back. It did not disappoint in any way: I LOVE THIS SONG! It’s so soft and romantic, my heart can’t take it! I also very much liked the production on this one. Seriously, one of Taylor’s best song for me. The reason I can’t decide which one between this and Lover is my ultimate favorite is that whenever I am finally convinced about one being it, I listen to the other and I’m stuck again. I don’t know if that was clear enough for everyone to understand but… yeah, I’ll let you know if I ever make up my mind.

[fayewonglibrary]

CHEEK TO CHEEK, FACE TO FAYE (1998)

An encounter with the Chinese pop reclusive iconoclast has never been easy to come by. Andy Chen scores a coup in Hong Kong as he makes close contact with the relaxed superstar in her usually off-limit Tsimshatsui office.  

The heat is on. Faye Wong’s releasing a new album and 8 DAYS has been granted an exclusive interview with her. That’s if she doesn’t get temperamental on us at the last minute. No, make that the last second. Consider this: when was the last time the Southeast Asian media was granted a face-to-face interview with the notoriously withdrawn wunderkind?

This is the 29-year-old superstar whose relationship with the press has been less than salubrious. The Faye who’s been known to trade insults with hecklers at her concerts, who answers questions in monosyllables and fires sarcastic ripostes at nosey scribes, and who has declared cold war against the Hong Kong media (after they splashed photos of her performing sanitation duties). The Faye who’s willfully gone against the grain of what’s expected of Cantopop’s cardboard cut-out stars: she won’t smile or spout inane pleasantries just to butter up tabloid reporters.

This is the Faye I’ve been tasked to coax into opening up. Mine was a heart that skipped a couple of beats, then another couple more. This being the sole interview given to an English publication in Singapore, there’s no room for mistakes. I mean, what if the interview falls through? What if she gets cranky and sews her lips shut? What if she ups and shows me a clean pair of heels? What if, what if…?

Before the face-to face was penciled in, there’d been much to-ing and fro-ing between Faye’s record company and us. First, we were told to fax our questions to EMI’s Hong Kong office for Faye to record her answers on a tape which would be sent to us. Later, it was to be a phone interview.

But when EMI learned that we were going to be in Hong Kong the week she, too, was to be there, the possibility of an exclusive was raised. After a flurry of phone calls, we were instructed to fax a list of proposed questions for Faye’s approval. They also recommended that we submit as many questions as possible so Faye won’t abort the interview prematurely because of any surprise query. Like I said, no worries, eh?

Is it really possible to have a journalistic tête-à-tête with Faye? We had our doubts. After all, here’s a pop star so elusive she could give American author-cum-recluse J D Salinger a run for his media phobia. Faye’s mastered the art of playing hard to get, so she’s been accused.  Before I leave for Hong Kong, my editor-in-chief wishes me good luck and tells me to call her the moment the interview’s done - or not done, as the case may be. We’re taking nothing for granted until after the very bites of Faye’s voice are secured on tape.

It’s 6.50pm. An EMI rep is supposed to have picked me up at the hotel 20 minutes ago. Has Faye changed her mind? I cross my fingers so hard they turn blue. Five minutes later, the van arrives. 8 DAYS’ stylist and photographer, who’re in Hong Kong for other assignments, tag along for a glimpse of this celebrity enigma. After a short journey through heavy peak-hour traffic, we’re led to a nondescript grey office block on the outskirts of Tsimshatsui. The lift takes us up to the 12th floor. A sign on the door reads ‘A Production House’ - it’s the company Faye set up with producer Alvin Leong and manager Katie Chan. Stepping into the crammed office, I uncross my fingers slightly.

There Faye is, already seated inside a room cluttered with files, cabinets and pieces of hi-fi equipment, throwing us a curious look. Catching sight of this beauteous creature with a mystique of unicorn-like proportions, I find my knees turning to jello. On the brighter side, I feel the blood returning to my fingers. Chances are good that the interview will come to pass. Faye’s lithe 1.72m figure is clad in a comfy plain brown t-shirt, blue jeans and a pair of electric pink Converse All-Stars. Her straight, red-tinted hair ends just above her shoulders. There is not a trace of make-up on her elfin visage, out of which peers her bright, sparkling eyes. Her flawless fair skin has a translucence that’s radiant. Faye is, in a word, sublime.

That she’s not togged up fussily for an official press interview she reportedly dislikes so very much must be a good sign, no? The casual homeliness of her outfit suggests a relaxed Faye, in contrast to the hairnet defensiveness of last year.

Spying the notes in my hands, Faye gasps slightly bemused, “Wah, so thick! Are there many questions?” Taken aback by the gentleness of her soft lilting speaking voice, I find my opening banter catching in my throat. Still, the walls of silence and non-cooperation she normally erects to keep out intrusive tabloid hacks seem to be missing. Slowly snuffing out the butterflies in my tummy, I ask if she’s seen the list of questions I had faxed over. She shakes her head. Apparently, her notoriety is based as much on truth as it is on myth. Things are starting to look up. My fingers loosen up and begin to take notes.

I wouldn’t have guessed that the Faye I’m about to encounter is thoughtful, open (but don’t hold your breath for details about her private life) and funny. I couldn’t have hoped for more. Maybe playing mummy to Dou Jingtong, her 20-month-old daughter with Beijing musician Dou Wei, has mellowed her attitude towards the press?

“It’s not a question of mellowing, I haven’t refused to co-operate with the media just because I’ve become more popular. Sections of the Hong Kong media are unreasonable and that’s why I don’t want to have anything to do with them,” she asserts.

“I’m definitely not against them if they’re interested in my work. What turns me off is that there’s no limit to the extent they would hound me. Some other entertainers may think that answering questions about their private lives is a part of the job and can’t be avoided. However, I feel I must draw the line somewhere. I can’t help it if they resort to all ways and means to take pictures of me; but under such circumstances, there’s no way I can bring myself to co-operate with them. Right now, however, I’m quite happy to be doing this interview.”

Faye’s salvo against the paparazzi and tabloid-mongers confirms what I’ve suspected all along: keep the line of questioning to her music, respect her privacy and you’ll be okay. The problems arise when people want a toll-free highway ride into Faye’s innermost sanctuaries. A public figure by default, she’s more a music-lover who hadn’t expected her star to go supernova.    

“No matter how much my supporters love and know my songs, there’ll always be that distance between them and me. There’s no way they’ll fully understand me. As long as they love my songs, it’s good enough for me,” Faye says, stretching out to tap the singed tip of her Marlboro menthol into an ashtray with her long, slender index finger. Now and then, she turns to look at her close friend and make-up guru, Zing, who’s ensconced in a chair to her left. You get the feeling that she’s relaxed because there’s a familiar face around.

“But I’m not as cold as some people say I am. I hope not,” she laughs a tad shyly. (Wow, a laugh!) “If I’m cold, it’s only to people I’m not familiar with. When people become my friends, I believe I’m rather lively and can get rather …. crazy.” Another self-conscious chuckle escapes her. (A chuckle!) Zing, who’s Singaporean, concurs that she’s actually a very warm person who just happens to be brutally honest. “She’s someone who’d rather risk offending you than lie to you. Once, she tried to tell a white lie but failed miserably.”

It’s clear Faye - 'Ah-Fei’ to those close to her - surrounds herself only with people she trusts and who reciprocate her sincerity. So there’s little chance of being hurt, misunderstood or misrepresented. For a woman as guileless as a babe-in-the-woods, who says what she thinks and acts on how she feels, the importance of a coterie of confidantes can’t be over-emphasized. A quick survey of her recent album sleeves betrays a line-up of usual suspects: Leong, Chan, Zing, composer Zhang Yadong, photographer Cheung Man Wah, image designers Ti Ti Kwan and Thomas Chan, hairstylist Elaine Wong, and, of course, hubby, Dou Wei.

“If we [she and her collaborators] couldn’t get along, then we wouldn’t have stuck together for so long that we’ve all become friends. Perhaps people may assume we hold endless meetings to plan an album, but we’re actually very easy-going, very relaxed. Our taste and thoughts about music - among other things - tends to be quite similar. That’s why there’s no real need to talk about it. When Zhang Yadong writes a song for me, I’d almost certainly like it. When I record an album, I never consciously plan a style. I just follow my instincts.”

There in lies Faye’s problem. Not that her insouciance is a problem, but it’s the reason why many critics and fans alike can’t figure her out. Artful dodger, master manipulator, sly schemer - Faye’s often mistaken for all of the above. Truth is, Faye’s a simple Beijing lass with Teresa Teng in her heart and playfulness in her soul. Playing hard to get? More like just playing, period. Never mind that she’s a mum, all she wants to do is have some fun. “I love to play. As long as it’s a game. I love to play it. Like mahjong - does that count?”

Her inquisitive, opalescent eyes frequently hold my gaze with equanimity. I even detect a hint of liveliness, but that may be too much to ask for. I’ve known her only a few minutes, and I’m still a reporter.

Laid-back as she is, it’s hardly a surprise that Faye has few words about her new album, entitled Chang You (a clever pun that roughly translates to Songs of Wanderlust).

“Convey what kind of message? I’ve no real message that I wanted to convey. Actually….” she sighs ever so softly, “how do I put this? Whenever I start working on an album, I never have anything concrete to convey. I’m only concerned with producing a good album. If I’m able to have more involvement in the making of an album, that’d be ideal. But at this point, I’m not yet able to record an album that’s written entirely by me. Ideally … when music is purely an interest and not my work, I might be able to do so.”

“That’s why making music poses me such a conflict. Music is my work. To me, music is essentially not a product. It shouldn’t be, but it’s become such. Naturally, I feel conflicted. This paradox is difficult to resolve. Maybe there’ll come a time when I’m not signed to any record company and will record albums purely for interest’s sake - and with financial security in place - that’ll be when I’d be really happy.” she chuckles again, not unaware how unglamorously practical this sounds.

Faye doesn’t hide the fact that all she wants in life is to be happy. Not unlike her character in Wong Kar-Wai’s Chungking Express who wants to win the affection of a cop played by Tony Leung Chiu Wai and to go to California. Although the singer insists that she’s “very afraid of acting”, she was showered with numerous accolades near and far (nominated in Taipei for Best Actress and won in Stockholm) in what was only her second film role, and had many besotted fans confusing the film’s Faye with the real Faye.

I don’t know about real overlapping reel. All I know is I’m awestruck when Faye turns and presents me with her right profile, the same right profile Chungking’s Faye shows the audience as she hides from Leung on the escalator. Here, sitting not two meters from me, is an iconic movie still coming to life miraculously.

But the Faye sitting across the table isn’t so naive as to believe a sojourn in California - or Paris, the other city she longs to live in - is the be-all and end-all of happiness. Give her some credit: she may be child-like but she’s also wiser than her age suggests.

“I don’t think I’m easily satisfied, but I hope to be. I feel that human beings are not easy to please. Little things are enough to make me happy and unhappy. Like how can you not be happy becoming a mother and looking at your daughter? But these also come with worries and concerns. Humans are basically paradoxical creatures.”

These days, Faye is locked into a lucrative recording deal said to be worth S$10 million (with final artistic say on her output!) in the bag and a lovely daughter to boot. Surely, then, she has found some way to resolve the paradox of human condition? Doesn’t the carefree jollity she expresses in the photos of “Songs’ album sleeves mean she’s quite happy? She won’t be drawn into this directly. "Did you all think Faye Wong doesn’t know how to smile? Wouldn’t that be horrible?” She giggles amidst our hearty laughter. (A giggle!) I might’ve struck gold here. The heavens are smiling on me.

The stylist to my right must be thinking the same thing. Out of the corner of my eyes, I realize he is staring unblinking - and unflinchingly - at the ethereal figure. To quote a pop song, he’s lost in her bewitching eyes. Enchanted. Captivated. Spellbound. Later, during dinner, he can’t stop raving about how bee-ewe-ti-fool Faye is, going so far as to claim no photos can do her justice. Dare I say I concur?

Forty minutes later, my job’s done. “Finished? Thank you, thank you,” she pipes brightly before bounding out of the room. I imagine she’s eager to get back to her playground.

Actually, the pleasure’s all mine.

No, Faye, thank you.

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GET THAT NAME RIGHT:

Faye Wong, one of GQ magazine’s 50 coolest women in 1996 and reigning Empress of Chinese popdom, in both name and acclaim. Idiosyncrasies aside, Faye is arguably the most influential Asian pop music figure in recent memory. Do you see SC or even JC-the man dubbed god of songs on the cover of Time magazine? And who else has so much clout in the shamelessly commercial industry of pop as to release an album containing nary a handful of intelligible lyrics in 35 minutes of music (1996 Exasperation)? No one else with her degree of commercial success (to date, her albums have raked up sales of about 10 mil) has been as non-conformist as Faye. Not in East Asia anyway.

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SOURCE:  8 DAYS  

[herarebels]

A folklore review by an aspiring author.

the 1

The beginning sounds like a college coming of age movie, and then follows the narrator as she looks back through her previous relationship.

cardigan

I really love the imagery. And I love the parallel of the narrator is told she knows nothing because she is young, but she insists that she knows one thing- her lover. I’m also getting young adult Victorian London romance vibes.

the last great american dynasty

I really like how Taylor equates herself to Rebekah, and says that she is the next mad woman to own the house. (Is Mad Woman about Taylor or Rebekah?!) I love that Taylor says that she did all of the things that Rebekah did. The past tense of the last few lyrics made it sound like Taylor sold the house?

exile

I loveeee this song to write about a romantic couple too. I love her imagery, and her word choice. I’m imagining this couple still being in love, but they were separated by a misunderstanding. And now that they see each other in a location, and now they don’t know what they’re living for because they still love the other person, but they feel like the relationship is unfixable.

my tears ricochet

I like the intro vocals/instrumental. I have two thoughts going off of this song. (WHEN I”M SCREAMING AT THE SKY?!) The woman died, and her ghost is watching her love interest at the funeral. What if this is the couple from the song before (?!?!?) and the woman died unexpectedly, and her ghost is haunting her love interest because she still loves them even after their mistakes. Or it could be the couple from above, and the burying is their breakup. She’s fighting because she wants to stay for her love interest. (I’m getting real forbidden love vibes here.) Maybe they were enemies to lovers, and he had to kill her, and now she haunts him. This song really fits Daenerys and Jon really well too.

mirrorball

I love the effect on Taylor’s voice. I see myself and what I used to do in the past in this song. This could be taken literally as Taylor’s need for the audience and how she changes herself to keep their attention. And she wants to be a source of comfort and entertainment for her fans, even when no one pays attention to her anymore. But it could be taken as another romantic thing where one partner just wants to make the other happy and they have each other as the world burns down (dancing with our hands tied bridge anyone?!)

seven

Aw I really like this cute song about Taylor’s childhood. I like that she recalls her attitude as a child being less subdued, and that as she grew up she had to do so to become more civil. I also just like her wondering if there are any good things in the world anymore, and equating those good things to her childhood. (Also, INTHAF vibes.)

august

Okay I claimed this one off of the tracklist, so hopefully it’s good lol. AHHH ITS SO CUTE! I’m getting college relationship vibes. *its one of the love triangle songs* “Back when I was living for the hope of it all” I really love the music and her voice in this one, it matches the vibes of the song perfectly.

this is me trying

So um I accidentally skipped this song, so this review is not going to be as coherent as the other songs in this place of the album. (You should probably skip this review and then come back to this after you read hoax.) I love the echo effect on her voice. This is the third song of the love triangle that I couldn’t find in betty lol. Another forbidden love. What the hell. Wait, this is super short. And I love it. Dang.

illicit affairs

The high *down* and *stop* and *him*. FORBIDDEN LOVE VIBES AGAIN. Could this be the same couple from exile and my tears ricochet? OOooh I love the harmonies. I love the bridge! (Honestly I think I’m going to need to make a couple of new OCs for this trinity of songs.)

invisible string

Hahaha bad blood easter egg. I really like the idea of invisible strings tying all of the people of your life to you. This is a really cute love song to Joe. This is sooooo cute.

mad woman

I have been forewarned that this is a doozy. Oh Taylor is out for blood people. She’s gonna be burning the witches now. We all know the “two” she’s talking about. Oh. Wait. I don’t really appreciate how Taylor is talking about one of their wives however. (I know that it does not directly reference the people that she’s talking about, but there is so much media attention on this topic that anyone could figure it out.) While she does make a good point that the woman isn’t mad at her husband because of societal conditioning. I believe that is not Taylor’s business and she really shouldn’t have put that in a song in my opinion. Overall, good song! I just didn’t agree with those few lines at the end.

epiphany

Oh frick this is going to be sad isn’t it. Wait is this the song about her grandfather in WWII?!? It is. Oh no. Anddddd she mashed it with covid. Nice dude. I’m totally fine. I like the servitude theme of the song. I like the notes and the backtrack of the song, I think it really fits the topic. This song really fits our world right now, and I like how she related it to devastated events of our history. It really shows that someday we will have our epiphany during this pandemic and we will get through it just like we got through everything else that happened in our history.

betty

So I saw three theories about this song:

1. Betty is Joe’s mom.

2. William Bowery is Joe writing with Taylor under a pseudonym.

3. Apparently Joe and Taylor are going to announce that they secretly got married in this song.

Let’s see how the theories pan out, shall we? I love the harmonicas! School children again? Maybe this is the love story of Joe’s parents? Joe’s dad better be named James. Wait what was the other song that talked about picking up somebody for a drive? August? Is this another love triangle song? Then if these two are the love triangle songs, where's the third? Did I miss it? Is CARDIGAN the third song? Why else would she reference it again? Dude I’m so confused.

peace

Okay, we are ignoring the whole love triangle debacle for now. Why is this titled peace but it’s explicit? I feel like those two words don’t go together. Wait this is the ultimate love song to Joe. I’m about to cry. I want this. I want what they have. I saw somewhere that Taylor told a secret sessioner during the rep sessions that the bridge to CIWYW was originally “dreaming of angels, raising angels into good people with you.” (I cannot confirm that this is true, I am believing this person’s word.) Taylor didn’t put it in because she was still worried about the delicate (lol) nature of their relationship, and she didn’t want any pregnancy rumors. But now in peace we get: “Give you my wild, give you a child.” Guys I’m actually crying rn. This is growth, and I want what they have one day. I want to be a part of a couple that never settles down and stays forever young. I want to be a part of a relationship that is romantic and that is also platonic. This is my next OTP song oh my gosh, it’s perfect.

hoax

I’m getting forbidden love break up vibes again. Why is this album full of songs like this? But this song also has a lot of references from Taylor’s life that she has sung about throughout the years. Is Joe the sadness that she’s referencing, idk? It’s really late and I know that she is talking about things in her life that she is already written about, but I’m not catching on to what they actually are.

overall thoughts:

I really like this album. This is a songwriting quality that we haven’t had from Taylor since Red. (Not that her other albums were bad at all!) I haven’t been a Taylor fan for very long. I grew up with YBWM and Love Story, and I knew all of the radio singles off of Red and 1989, but I didn’t become more than a casual listener until reputation (which is still my favorite album by her!) I write in the fantasy genre, so it’s really hard for me to write to 1989 and Lover, and I am not really familiar with self-titled, Fearless, and Speak Now.

What I love about this album more than her other albums, is that folklore isn’t really about Taylor’s life. As a media consumer, I like to know what the media I am watching, listening, or reading is about. Because of this, I know a lot of little details about Taylor’s love life and other things that have happened to her that she has written about. But as a writer it is hard for me to separate those instances in Taylor’s life from the songs. I can’t think of them objectively. So this album really gave me a lot of inspiration.

Also, this is a sound that we haven’t heard from Taylor since Red. Folk music really lends well to fantasy writing, and I was ecstatic when I saw the pictures yesterday morning. I just knew that it was going to be the Taylor version of a folk album. (One of my dream Taylor genres has been fulfilled, now I just need a WANEGBT 1989 tour-esqe album. Taylor pleaseeeeee.)

As of right now, all of the ones labeled forbidden love are my favorite. But I think my top three off of the album (in order) are:

peace

exile

my tears ricochet

Anyways, its 3:00 am and I am probably not making any sense anymore. I think I’m going to post this without checking it over. I apologize if any of this is incoherent. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.